Taraweeh Rakats: //top\\

Thus, two legitimate positions emerged, each grounded in authentic precedents. The first, favored by the Hanafi and Hanbali schools, as well as many Maliki scholars, holds that 20 rakats is the established sunnah of the rightly-guided caliphs, which the Prophet commanded Muslims to follow. They argue that the Prophet’s 11 rakats was his personal night prayer, not a formal, legislated upper limit for the congregational Taraweeh. The second position, championed by the Hanbali school’s later proponents (like Ibn Taymiyyah) and many Salafi-oriented followers, argues that the Prophet’s 11 rakats is the superior sunnah, and that while 20 rakats is permissible due to Umar’s ijtihad (independent reasoning), it is not the preferred or “Sunnah” practice.

The debate, while sometimes heated, has rarely been about the validity of one’s prayer. No mainstream scholar declares the 8-rakat prayer invalid, nor does any declare the 20-rakat prayer a reprehensible innovation. Instead, the dispute revolves around what is more excellent or more authentic to the Prophetic model. Those praying 8 rakats often emphasize quality over quantity, performing longer recitations and deeper prostrations, sometimes completing the entire Quran over the month. Those praying 20 rakats often emphasize inclusivity and the preservation of a historical communal practice, typically reciting shorter portions to maintain a manageable pace for the congregation. taraweeh rakats

The holy month of Ramadan is a time of intense spiritual devotion for Muslims worldwide. Central to this nightly worship is the special prayer known as Taraweeh, performed only during this blessed month. Yet, beneath the serene atmosphere of mosques filled with voices reciting the Quran lies a long-standing and often passionately debated question: How many rakats (units of prayer) constitute the authentic Taraweeh? Is it 8, 11, or 20? This essay explores the historical origins, the key scriptural evidences, the reasoning behind the dominant positions, and the underlying principle that has allowed for this diversity within the unity of Islamic practice. Thus, two legitimate positions emerged, each grounded in

However, the narrative of Taraweeh did not conclude with the Prophet’s lifetime. The pivotal moment occurred during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). Seeing people praying in scattered, small groups, Umar perceived a need for communal unity. He gathered the believers behind a single imam, Ubayy ibn Ka’b, to perform the prayer in congregation. It is recorded that under Umar’s directive, they prayed . This action is described by early historians and scholars as a “beautiful innovation” (bid'ah hasanah) in the technical, linguistic sense—meaning a practice not established as a congregational sunnah by the Prophet, but one that serves a higher maslahah (public interest) without contradicting any core principle. The great hadith scholar Imam al-Bayhaqi and others have noted that the companions during Umar’s time did not object to this number, implying a consensus (ijma') of the Sahaba on the permissibility of 20 rakats. The second position, championed by the Hanbali school’s